Vacuum regulator for milking systems



Oct. 14, 1952 w. A. SCOTT 2,513,759

VACUUM REGULATOR FOR MILKING SYSTEMS Filed Dec. 6, 1949 low '9 III/IA INVEN TOP WALTER AS001? ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 14, 1952 VACUUM REGULATOR FOR MILKING SYSTEMS Walter A. Scott, Poughkeepsie, N. Y., assignor to The De Laval Separator Company, New York,- N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 6, 1949, Serial No. 131,453

. 1 i This invention relates to regulators for maintaining a uniform degree of Vacuum in a pipe line of a vacuum milking machine installation.

Vacuum milking machine installations include at least one pipe line connected to a source of vacuum, such as a vacuum pump, which generally has a capacity far in excess of normal requirements. Therefore, in order to maintain the desired degree of vacuum inthe pipe line (usually equivalent to 12-14 inches of mercury) it is common practice to provide the pipe line witha vacuum regulator which automatically vents the line to atmosphere whenever the vacuum becomes too high, and which automatically closes the vent when the desired vacuum again prevails.

Although many forms of vacuum regulators have been proposed and used, a Well knownexample of which is found in Hall Patent No. 1,420,035, the prior regulators have not been entirely satisfactory. This is due largely to the fact that after a relatively short-period of use they sometimes fail to respond quickly and consistently to significant changes in the degree of vacuum. Such a failure in the operation of the regulator causes the degree of vacuum in the pipe line to vary beyond predetermined-limits established for good milking practice. It has been found that such faulty operation is caused by dust particles, inherent to barn air, collecting on the sliding surfaces of the regulator mechanism. In order to restore the'regulator to normal operation, it must be dismantled and its various parts thoroughly cleaned before reassembly.

The principal object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a vacuum'regulator which is self-cleaning with respect to its contained ports and-passages which might become clogged with deposits of dirt particles from the air,

A further object is to provide a vacuum regulator of simple and inexpensive construction, which is rugged and reliable in operation.

A vacuum regulator made according to the invention comprises a housing adapted to be connected to the vacuum pipe line of the milker installation. The housing has an elongated air inlet passage leadin to the interior of the housingand an air outlet passage which, when the housing is so connected, communicates with the interior of the vacuum pipe line; The inlet passage is controlled by a valve member normally seated on a part of the housing surrounding the inlet passage, the valve member having a depending hollow tube which is open at the bottom but 5 Claims. (01. 183-41) vention;

is closed at the top except'for a lateral port or ports. The tube has a close sliding fit in the air inlet passage and, when the valve member is seated, projects somewhat below the lower end of this passage and into atmospheric air. In this position of the valve member, the lateral ports are below the upper end of the inlet passage and are therefore closed by the side walls of the latter. When the vacuum becomes too high, the

sub-atmospheric pressure Within the housing is insufficient to hold the valve member, anda selected weight thereon, down against the upward force of atmospheric pressure acting upon the valve member, whereupon the latter moves upwardly to displace the lateral ports above the inlet passage. Airthen flows through the depending tube, the lateral ports, the interior of the housing and its outlet passage to the pipe line, until the desired degree of vacuum is restored, whereupon the valve member drops to its initial position so as to close the tube ports.

With this construction,-the depending tube prevents dust-laden air from reaching the inlet passage walls on which the tube slides in'the movement of the valve member. Since the lateral ports which are alternately opened and closed are in the depending tube of the valve member, the up-and-down movements of the tube, which often occur quite rapidly with a fluttering action, oppose any tendency for dust to remain in these ports.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View of a preferred form of vacuum regulator according to the-in- Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the regulator showing details of the removable bottom cover, and

v Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on a somewhat enlarged scale taken on line 3 3 of Fig; 2, showing a portion of the air inlet slit and the finger grip by means of which the bottom cover is swung to itsopen position for the purposes of cleaning.

The vacuum regulator as illustrated comprises a housing made up of a valve body Ill and a dome I I supported on the body and forming therewith a chamber I2. A gasket I3 forms an'air-tight seal between the lower portion of the dome and a flange Illa of the body on which the dome rests. A cover 14 is secured to the underside of the body by pivotal means in the form of a screw I5 and can be swung laterally on the screw to permit inspection of theinterior of the-regu- ,tire regulatorvalve structure.

3 later and removal of any dust particles which might accumulate within an air inlet chamber I6 of the regulator.

The body I is provided with a nipple I'I adapted to connect the housing chamber I2 to the milking machine pipe line (not shown) in which the desired. degree of .vacuum is to be maintained. The body I0 is provided also with a cylindrical upstanding boss IIIb constituting means forming an air inlet passage connecting the air inlet chamber I6 with the. housing chamber I2. i

A valve member I 8 is reciprocable vertically in the housing to open and close the chamber I2 to atmospheric air. with a locating pin I8a on its upper end which fits loosely into a socket in a weight- I9. mounted on the valve member. Below the pin I8a, the valve member has a shoulder IBb overlying a gasket which forms a shoulderpart of the valve member-:andnormallyseats on top of the boss 10b to provide .an air-tight seal against leakage of air into the chamber I2. Below thegasket; 20, the valve member is provided with. a depending .hollow.tube; I8cwhich has a close sliding fit in the inlet passage formed by the boss 'IIlb. The tube. I80 is open at its lower end where, in the lowermost position of the valve member, it pro- ;iects beyond the inlet passage and into the inlet chamber I6. At its upper end, the tube 180 is-closedexcept-for lateral ports 21. The vertical The valve member is providedv spacing --between theports 2lfland the gasket 20 is-less than the -distance through which the lower end of tube IBc-projects into gchamber I6 when the .valve member is seated; Accord- .ingly -when the-latter -is raised to move the ports z-lwabove the boss 10b, thereby connecting chamber: I6 through tube I80- and the ports t'ozthe chamber I2, the tube continues to cover the inner surfaceof the hollow boss -I0b at its-lower-end, that is, the lower wall of jtheair inlet'passage.

r-The movable cover I4. is'spaced a short dis- ;tance from theloweredge of chamber t6 :by' a plurality of lugs IUc, thereby providing restricted inletpassages I6a of relatively thin cross section :for: the entranceof air to chamber I5. However, .for thepurpose of cleaning-chamber I6, the same may be completely exposed by turning the cover about pivot screw- IS in the direction indicated by the arrow in-Fig. 2. A finger grip'22 (Fig. 3) is provided to facilitate this ope-ration. Itwill be observed that-the "nipple? II acts as a stopyto limit-the pivotal movement of-cover I 4 when it is swung on the screw to close-the chamber IB.

In.the use of -theregulator, the nipple I 1 not only connects chamber I2 to the pipe line- (not shown) of the milker-installation but also serves asa. mountingor: support -means ton-the env With nipple I! connected to; the milker vacuum pipe line, air is :exhaustedfromchamber I2 through the nipple.

)When -the. pressure within the chamber: I2 is 7 reduced to a degreepredetermined by the-weight I9, atmospheric pressure in chamber I 6 acts-upon the upper or closed end of tube I 80 (and the annular surface at its. lower end) to-raise the valvemember I8 and its weight I9, until theports 2 I are-above the upperedge of the boss-I01). .The

ports 2I are thus uncovered and allow air at atmospheric pressureto flow from chamber I6 to-chamber I2, which is under partialqvacuum,

and thence through 'nipple- I'I into the vacuum pipe line,- until the sub-atmospheric pressure .in

..chamber 1-2 "becomes great .enough to :jcause the bythe air are prevented from being deposited in the slit areas Him but are permitted to settle .out and deposit on the upper side of the cover plate I4, which can be easily cleaned. Accordingly, it is not necessary to cover the air inlet opening or openings of the regulator with a screen. The elimination of such screens, or the like, is desirable, because they eventually become clogged with dust particles filtered from the air and thus result in failure of the regulator to function uniformly and consistently. I

It will be observedthat the atmospheric air inpassing from inlet chamber I6 to the reduced pressure. chamberv I2 moves through the-interior of the valve tube and, due to the specifiic length of the tube as. heretofore described, does not pass over any portion of the relatively sliding surfaces between the tube and thestationary boss lDb. In thisway, collection of .dust particles on the sliding-surfaces is avoided and any possible failure of the regulatordue tosuch a collection is prevented.

It will also be observed that if any dustparticles should collect in the ports 2| or onthe vertical surfaces of the air passage in tube I80, they will be shaken free by the sudden stop to. the downward movement of the valve member due to the gasket 20 thereof striking its .seat at the upper edge of boss I02), and the dust particles will fall upon the coverplate I4- .By reason ofthe sensitivity of the valve assembly to small changes in the sub-atmospheric pressure inchamberiJ'Z, the valve assembly will at times-move up and down quite rapidly, withmore or-less of .a..fluttering action, and sincethe ports 2I. and..the tube 18c partake of these. movements, they tend to free themselves ofnany accumulationofdus't deposits.

I claim: I Q

1. In avacuum regulator for the va'cuumgpipe line of a milker. system, and which comprises ahousing-having a chamber provided with .an

.air outlet adapted to be connected to theinseated on said boss to close .the chamberfrom atmosphere, and a depending hollow tube on the valve member extending downward through .said passage and having a close. slidingfit-therein, the. tube being closed at its upper-end except for a lateral portwh-ich, when said" shoulder is seated, is located below 'theupper end ofthe inlet ,passage and closed by the passage wall; the lower-end of the tubebeing in open communication with atmospherev and, when said shoulder is seated on said boss,'projecting downward from the lower end of the passage for -a.:distance;at

least: as great as the. distance between-"said-r-port and the upper end' of .the .'passage,.;whereby:- the tube covers the "lower part 'o'fthetpassage wall when the valve member is raised to elevate the port above the inlet passage, the atmospheric pressure acting upon said closed upper end of the tube and upon the lower end thereof being, operable to raise the valve member and elevate said port above the inlet passage, thereby ad- 3. The combination according to claim 1, com-] I prising also a cover plate on the housing below the tube and forming with the housing an air inlet chamber into which the tube extends, the cover plate also defining a slit for admitting air into said last chamber.

4. The combination according to claim 1, comprising also a cover plate on the housing below the tube and forming with the housing an air inlet chamber into which the tube extends and pivotal means for securing the cover plate to the housing and on which the plate is movable to expose said last chamber.

5. The combination according to claim 1, comprising also a cover plate on the housing below the tube and forming with the housing an air inlet chamber into which the tube extends, pivotal means for securing the cover plate to the housing and on which the plate is movable to expose said last chamber, and a nipple on the housing defining said air outlet and forming a stop for limiting movement of the cover plate on said pivotal means.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are ofv record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 156,165 Jonson Oct. 20; 1874 1,420,035 Hall June 20, 1922 1,488,604 Lawton Apr. 1, 1924 2,217,056 Johnson Oct. 8, 1940 

